Customizing Tips & Tricks

Key Elements to Consider

1. Does the look make sense?

Do you have it raining indoors? Do you have garlands with nothing for them to be hanging from? Do you have a summer dress on in a winter setting? Do the foreground items fit the space properly, and don’t oddly intersect anything in the background? Make sure every part of your look makes sense for the theme and functionality, and that all the items fit the space correctly.

2. Do you have a clear theme?

Does every item help contribute to the theme you have in mind? Would additional items help make the theme more clear? I understand that people make very specific looks for very specific characters. Examples: "Oh she's a wizard, but she also loves the lute." That's great! BUT, as an outsider, these looks may seem a bit muddled and confusing.

3. Is it creative?

Are you just using an entire NC or NP set? Is it a common character like a faerie, pirate, etc.? Have the specific item combos been used multiple times by others? This critique can be the most subjective of all of them. However, having viewed many customs over the years I know I get bored with the same old looks. Even if the theme is a common one, try to give it a creative twist by using underappreciated items.

General Pet Peeves:

- Wings on non-winged pets: Unless it fits with the theme, I don't see the need to add wings to "non-flying" pets.

- Fisted animals without handhelds: If you have a two-legged pet, please, get it a handheld! Alternatively, if you have a quad pet, perhaps lose the handheld (unless it's needed for the theme). Most handhelds don't look great on four-legged pets.

- Non-fully clothed pets: Have a shirt and no pants, or vice versa? Get that pet fully clothed! Disclaimer: I know there are certain themes where clothes are omitted, and instead users opt for markings and accessories. If this is done right, I have no problem with this sort of specific look.

- (Ink) Frames: The ink frames are very pretty, but will not go with many looks. The frames are very bold and abstract, so if you are going for a more realistic theme, these won't work. I feel the same about most other frame items as well, items that completely box in the look often just don't make sense.

- Plushies/Floating Faeries : Like with ink frames, these items by themselves are really nifty.. but they're hard to fit into themes. Unless you're going for a kid look, or specific faerie theme, these usually won't work. Just throwing in items like these because they're cute will often hurt your overall theme.

Steps to Making a Look

1. Look for Species Specific Wearables: This works great if you have a pet in mind but no theme, or a theme in mind but no pet. Species specific wearables generally fit better and can be more creative compared to NC options. They're also really helpful if NC isn't possible for you.

2. Consider the Colors: I believe any base color can be used for customizing, but some are definitely easier to work with than others. When deciding on items it's important to think of a color pallet which incorporates the items/theme you want to use, as well as goes with the base color of your pet.

3. Use Key Terms: This is a no brainer, but when trying to find items for certain looks I usually end up opting for key word searches. Doing a broad search for colors (ex; red, blue, pastel), and a search for theme items (summer, indoor, wizard), can really narrow down the time it takes to make a look. Granted you'll probably have better luck finding the perfect item if you go page by page, but some days I don't feel like wading through 100+ pages of wigs.

4. Be Creative: As mentioned in the previous section, I really love to see creative looks. This can mean more than just a creative overall theme, it can also deal with the items you choose. For example, putting together "Flames" and "Aisha Rock Idol Guitar" makes it look like the guitar is on fire- such a cool affect!

5. Utilize Fansites: There are three fansites that can help you with all your customizations needs: JellyNeo, SunnyNeo, and Dress to Impress.

JellyNeo:: JN’s wearable preview page: http://wardrobe.jellyNeo.net/preview/ is nice for looking up items by specific zone, currency, and species. Unlike other fansites, their wearable data is also linked to their item database, so you are able to see a price estimate of every NP item. You can also add NC wearables to a WL/TL and compare your list with other users to find trades. Finally, be sure to check out their wardrobe app: http://wardrobe.jellyNeo.net/app/ to start building your own looks.

SunnyNeo: SN’s Dressing Room page: http://www.sunnyNeo.com/customisation/new/ is a great tool to use when trying to narrow down your item search. With their page you can narrow down items by color, zone, currency, and even theme! So if you’re wanting a brown wig that has a summer vibe to it, this is the place to look.

Dress to Impress: DTI is the fansite I use the most for customizing and finding items. Like with JN, you can make a WL/TL on DTI of NC items, and compare it with other users to trade. When making looks on DTI you can also narrow down your searches by currency and zone. You can even plug pet names into the site to see all the items a pet is wearing. Like JN, you can also save outfits, but when viewed again you can still view the other items you closeted for the look (a feature no other fansite has).

Overall I can't stress enough that these are just my opinions! I wrote this article to try and give folks some tips and tricks for basic customizing. But if you like the way your pet looks, obviously that's all that matters! :)